Albert M. Friedman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Friedman Properties, Ltd., is recognized as a top real estate developer, Chicago’s leading preservationist, and one of the city’s most respected civic leaders. Mr. Friedman’s high-profile projects have earned him national recognition for his visionary practice of adaptive re-use and his leadership in the renaissance of Chicago’s River North neighborhood.
Friedman’s passion for the City of Chicago and his unique commitment to civic-minded development have shaped his company’s growth over the past 50 years. Now a full-service real estate development firm, Friedman Properties owns and manages more than 50+ properties totaling over 5 million SF throughout the Chicago area and has been instrumental in the redevelopment and integration of 12 full city blocks.
Friedman is also recognized as a driving force behind the revitalization of River North. Through his innovative application of urban planning, preservation, adaptive re-use, and new construction,
Friedman has transformed the area into one of Chicago’s most vibrant communities. Today, Friedman Properties is River North’s leading landlords with a tenant list that includes many of the city’s most prominent businesses and organizations, retailers, and hospitality, dining, and entertainment establishments.
Friedman’s leadership in economic development and preservation caught the eye of Chicago’s Mayor, Richard M. Daley, who called on Friedman to lend his expertise to the Commission on Chicago Landmarks. As a member and later Chairman of the City of Chicago Landmarks Commission, Friedman played a key role in the preservation and protection of historic buildings throughout the city. In 1995, he was named “Preservationist of the Year” by the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois, the highest honor given by the state’s top preservation advocacy organization.
Community and charitable organizations throughout the city have called upon Friedman for leadership and support as well. He has led initiatives for groups as varied as the Lawson House YMCA, the Boy Scouts of America, the Chicago International Film Festival, the Prairie Avenue House Museums, and Erikson Institute, a highly respected graduate school in child development.
He continues to serve as an honorary leader for the Greater River North Business Association, a neighborhood organization he founded and guided for more than a decade.
In addition to his wide range of charitable activities, Friedman has helped lead the business community’s efforts to strengthen the city’s economy. He is a member of the Greater North Michigan Avenue Association, the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, and the past president of the prestigious Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau. Guided by Albert Friedman’s exceptional vision, Friedman Properties continues to expand its work of urban renewal throughout Chicago and the surrounding area. Friedman Properties has been widely praised for its development of the Goodman Theater Center, a new architectural landmark that has anchored Chicago’s rejuvenated downtown theatre district.
Friedman’s dedication to Chicago and his deep roots in the community are shared by his wife Suzanne, their son Jason and his family, and their daughter Julie and her family.
A graduate of both Northwestern School of Business and DePaul University School of Law, Friedman’s accomplishments have been recognized by organizations ranging from the Chicago Bar Association to the National Conference for Community and Justice. Though his career is far from its conclusion, his induction into the Chicago Area Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame is a testament to the impact Albert Friedman already has made on the landscape of one of America’s greatest cities.